The principal objectives of this proposal are twofold. The first is to develop rapid sensitive tests for quantification of Hemoglobin AIc. This glycohemoglobin which is elevated in diabetes is an excellent candidate for assessing the degree of control of patients with diabetes mellitus since we have recently found that the amount of Hb AIc accurately reflects the status of carbohydrate metabolism. The current chromatographic methods are too cumbersome and time consuming to be adaptable to clinical laboratories. A simple new method for Hb AIc would give the physician a means of measuring the degree of control of the patient for the preceding months so that therapies could be evaluated accurately. The second objective is to evaluate the hypothesis that the glycosylation reaction that leads to the formation of Hb AIc is also occurring with other body proteins. The modified proteins might then lead to altered function and the development of pathological states that are responsible for the many complications of this disease. Since other blood cells, the white cell and the platelets, have been noted to have altered function in the diabetic state, we propose to look for increased glycosylation in these cells. In addition we will investigate the status of capillary basement membrane, peripheral nerve and lens in the normal and diabetic state.